Present, Let Me Introduce You To The Past
by SarahandBabees
Summary: What if one day, when being attacked by demons in the park, the gang accidentally portaled to London, 1878, and landed in the dining room of the Institute? What adventures await them? Who will Tessa choose? Sweet, loveable Jem? Or sexy, dangerous Will?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, this is my newest story. Not Vampire Academy, for once. I read Clockwork Angel when I was away in New Hampshire, and I was inspired to write this. I thought it would be cool for the MI characters to meet the ID characters, especially since some of them are their family members. Mmmm, I love Jace and Will :) who's with me ? ;) And yeah, I know that I'm stupid :P I really shouldn't have started yet **_**another **_**story since I have such problems updating the ones I have . . . But don't shoot me! I'll do my best :)**

**Ahhhh, Kyle Massey didn't win on Dancing with the Stars :'( I'm so sad right now . . . He deserved to win!**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices. Both belong to the brilliant Cassandra Clare. I wish I owned Jace, Will, and Jem :'(**

_**Present, Let Me Introduce You To The Past  
Chapter One: The Portal**_

**Brooklyn, New York, 2007**

_What had been a seemingly pleasant and normal day had just taken a turn for the worst. Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, Alec and Magnus had gone out for dinner, and were strolling casually through the lamplit park. The sun had set an hour before, and although they knew that they should go home, they didn't. And that was their mistake._

Clary and Jace held hands, and were trailing behind the others. They murmured quiet and constant "I love you's" to one another, as they walked with their heads bent close to eachother. That was when they noticed the horde of Shax demons sneaking up behind the rest of the group.

Terror coursed through Clary, making her freeze. Jace, however, sprung into action.

"GUYS! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" he screeched, pulling a seraph blade from his belt. He turned to Clary. "Clary, I _need _you to make a portal. We have to get away from here, because there are too many of them."

Feeling numb, she nodded and pulled her stele from her belt loop. She watched as Jace murmured "_Ariel._" The blade lit up like a star and he ran forward to help the others with the demons, and she walked over to a thick tree. She pressed the tip of the stele to it, and began to draw the portal rune. Her hand moved swiftly, almost as if it had a mind of it's own. She didn't have to think about it; it came naturally.

When she finished, she called out to the others. "Guys, it's ready! Come ON!"

Simon and Isabelle darted away from the demons, running to get to Clary. Magnus followed, and Jace and Alec took a few more down before fleeing as well.

When they were all gathered, Clary spoke. "Everyone hold on to eachother. Do _not_ let go. Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded, and grabbed on to eachother. Clary held Jace for dear life, and thought of somewhere to go. _Somewhere safe. Somewhere none of the demons can find us, _she thought. With that, the group stepped into the portal and was flung through the black nothingness.

**London, England, 1878**

Tessa sat at the dinner table, directly across from Will. She glared at him, and he glared back, while Jem glanced hopelessly between them. Charlotte, Henry and Jessamine were clueless as to what had transpired between Tessa and Will, so they didn't notice that anything was particularly amiss.

"Tessa, have you read any good books recently?" Jem asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have." Her tone was clipped, and she continued to glare at Will. "Would you like to know what it's about?"

"Of course." Jem replied happily, pleased that he got her talking.

"Well, it's about a young girl who found herself caring about someone who didn't deserve it. He was a cruel, sadistic twit. But, lucky for her, his friend was quite charming and kind, and he put the twit in his place."

Jem groaned and slapped his hand to his forehead, muttering to himself. Tessa couldn't distinguish his exact words, but it was something about "wishing we'd stop with all of the animosity and get along."

Just then, there was a deep rumbling sound, and something appeared on the wall. Tessa hadn't the slightest idea as to what it was, but the Shadowhunters all let out a small gasp.

"Is that . . ." Jessamine began.

"A portal. Yes, it's a portal." Henry finished, looking confused.

At that moment, a heap of bodies tumbled out of the so-called portal, and landed with an audible thump on the floor. There was a chorus of moans, and they sat up.

The first person that Tessa noticed was a girl with bright, flaming-red hair. It was a tangled mess around her face, which was spattered with freckles, and she reached a hand up to rub her cheek. Her other hand, Tessa saw, was wrapped in the hand of a blond boy. Tessa's first thoughts of him were that he was beautiful; his hair was golden, as were his eyes. He was dressed impeccably, although his clothes were wrinkled and slightly torn now. They were also unfamiliar. The next face she saw shocked her; it was the face of a very strange looking Magnus Bane, with shimmering glitter all over him and his strange clothes. He sat beside a boy that slightly resembled Will, with his black hair and deep blue eyes. There was a tall, beautiful girl beside him, and their resemblance was very noticeable with their similar dark looks. Her skin was ivory, and it meshed well with her dark hair and eyes. Beside her was a pale boy with dark brown hair and hazel eyes, and he looked as if he was in terrible pain.

The dark haired girl shot up. "Simon! Oh God, we need to get you out of here!" She turned to us. "This is an institute, isn't it?" When Charlotte nodded, all of the color drained from the dark haired girl's face. She reached down and pulled the pale boy up, and directed him to the nearest window. "Simon, you have to jump out, okay?"

The pale boy, known as Simon, moaned and nodded. The dark haired girl opened the window as wide as she could, and eased him through it. Tessa heard the thud as he hit the ground.

"Whatever is the matter with him?" Jessamine asked.

"He's a vampire. He can't be in here." the dark haired girl replied, looking quite shaken up.

"A _vampire? _Who, might I ask, are you people?" Charlotte asked.

The blond haired boy was the one who answered. "I'm Jace Wayland, this is Clarissa Morgenstern," he pointed to the red haired girl, who glared at him. "Fray. Clarissa Fray. Or just Clary. This," he pointed to the dark haired boy, "is Alec Lightwood. That," he pointed to the dark haired girl, "is Alec's sister, Isabelle Lightwood. The boy who just jumped out the window was Simon Lewis, and this is-"

"Magnus Bane." Tessa said.

Jace looked puzzled. "How do you know his name?"

It wasn't Tessa, but Magnus who answered. "Because we're in the past. London, 1878 to be exact. The girl who you just spoke with is Tessa Gray. Beside her is Jessamine Lovelace. Across from her is William Herondale. Beside him is James Carstairs. And on Tessa's other side is Charlotte. Across from her is her husband, Henry."

"_Herondale?_" Jace asked, incredulous.

"Yes, Herondale." Will said, speaking for the first time. "What is it to you, Mr. Wayland?"

Jace looked as if he was about to faint. Clarissa reached out to steady him, and answered Will for him. "Even though he goes by the last name Wayland, his true last name is Herondale. Son of Stephen and Celine Herondale. In other words, your great-grandson."

Everyone froze. _Will's great-grandson? _Tessa thought. _That must also mean that the dark haired siblings, Alec and Isabelle, are Gabriel's great-grandchildren, and Benedict's great-great-grandchildren! _

Everyone was silent for a few moments, until Magnus spoke. "Well Clary, how on earth did you end up sending us here? To the past?"

"I don't know." Clary replied. "I just thought of somewhere safe, and somewhere that the Shax demons wouldn't find us. I guess that must be here."

"You were attacked?" Charlotte asked, her face suddenly concerned.

Alec nodded. "A hoarde of Shax demons ambushed us while we were walking through the park back in Brooklyn. Clary is . . . _special,_ and so she has the ability to create new runes. She created a portal that transported is here, to the past."

Henry's eyes brightened, and his facial expression turned eager. "She can create new runes? But . . . how is it possible?"

Jace sighed, and began to tell the story. "When Clary and I were still in our mothers' wombs, Clary's father _Valentine,_" he spat the word, "fed them Angel blood. It gave Clary and I special abilities, and hers is creating new runes."

"What, might I ask, is yours, Mr. Wayland?" Tessa asked, burning with curiosity.

"Well, I can run faster and jump higher than a normal Shadowhunter normally could." Jace replied.

"It seems to me like Miss Fray's ability is far greater than yours, Jace." Will commented, earning a smack from Jem and a burning glare from Tessa.

Jace's eyes narrowed. "It's actually very useful, and it's helped me a lot in the past." Jace looked at Clarissa. "And she prefers Clary, not Clarissa or Miss Fray. _Dumbass . . ._"

Clary's hand whipped up and connected with Jace's cheek extremely fast. He gave her a shocked look, and touched his fingertips to his red cheeks. Alec, Isabelle and Magnus began laughing, while Clary glared at Jace.

"What am I missing? What's so funny?" Simon called from outside the window. Until that moment, everyone had forgotten that he was even outside.

"Oh, Clary slapped Jace." Isabelle replied, clutching her stomach.

"Woo! Go Clary!" Simon cheered.

"I'm inclined to agree with the vampire." Will said, and Clary turned her glare on him.

"He has a name, you know. Simon." she said darkly.

Will raised his hands in surrender. "My apologies, Miss Fray."

Clary was puzzled. Why had he called her Miss Fray? _Oh, _she thought. _Right. We're in the 1800s. Of course that that's how you would talk to someone._

Her expression softed. "It's alright, Mr. Herondale. Please, just call me Clary. I really do prefer it."

"Alright then, Clary. Call me Will." Will turned to Alec and Isabelle. "Just a warning for you two, your great-grandfather is a twit."

Jem looked appalled. "William Herondale, don't be so rude to our guests!"

Isabelle spoke. "No, Mr. Carstairs, it's okay. We've been told how much of an idiot great-gradfather Gabriel was."

"Okay then, Miss Lightwood. Call me Jem please, everyone else does."

"If you call me Isabelle." She turned to everyone in the room. "You can call all of us by our first names. We'd really all prefer it, since we're not used to the whole 'formal' thing."

"Yes," said Will. "It rather seems as if the lot of you haven't the slightest manners."

Isabelle then made a motion with her hand that was unfamiliar to Tessa and the others. She raised her hand, palm down, to reach under her chin. She then swept her arm forward, and let it fall to her side.

"Am I supposed to know what that meant?" Will asked, clearly puzzled.

"It means fu-" Alec's hand flew over to cover Isabelle's mouth.

"-nny." Alec finished, recieving a glare from Isabelle. She bit down, hard, on Alec's fingers, and he yelped in pain as blood welled on them.

"IZZY! NOT COOL!" he yelled, clutching his fingers. Isabelle stuck her tongue out at him, and he rolled his eyes. Tessa waved Clary over.

Once Clary stood beside Tessa, she motioned for her to lean down. "Do they always act like this?" Tessa asked, her voice a whisper that was slightly difficult to hear over the squabbling of Isabelle and Alec.

"Usually. It's just the way they are . . ." Clary spoke fondly of Isabelle and Alec, and it was clear to Tessa that she loved them as if they were her own siblings. Which made Tessa wonder if Clary had any siblings.

"Clary, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Tessa asked.

Clary's expression darkened, and Tessa immediately regretted asking the question. "You don't have to answer that, if you don't want to." Tessa said quickly.

Clary's voice was cold. "Jonathan was another one of Valentine's experiments. Only, unlike Jace and I, demon blood was used on him. Jonathan was a coldhearted murderer, and he almost killed Jace. But it was Jace who killed him, which surprised Valentine."

Tessa gulped. "And what-what became of Valentine?"

"Raziel killed him."

"Raziel, as in, the angel that created your race?"

"Yes, he created the Nephilim. If you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

Tessa smiled. "I'm a warlock of sorts. I'm unlike any other warlock; I can fully transform myself into someone else if I hold on to one of their possesions."

Clary's expression was dumbfounded. "So, you're telling me that if I gave you something of mine, you could turn yourself into me?"

Tessa nodded. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"

Clary nodded eagerly, and pulled Tessa into the other room. "We have to try and trick Jace." she murmured.

"There's just one thing; I'd still be wearing this dress."

"It's okay, we'll just say that you took me to get changed into one of your dresses. I'll stand and watch from somewhere that he can't see me."

Tessa nodded. "Hand me something of yours."

Clary reached into her purse and pulled out her sketchpad. She placed it lightly into Tessa's outstretched hand, and Tessa clasped it tightly, closing her eyes.

Clary watched with amazement and wonder as Tessa's features shifted into her own. Her brown hair turned fiery red and curly, the shape of her face changed, freckles dotting her cheeks. When Tessa opened her eyes, they were no longer grey, but an emerald green that Clary recognized as her own.

"Amazing . . ." Clary breathed, looking Tessa up and down.

Tessa stared into the mirror, the face of Clary staring back at her. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" she asked.

Clary was taken aback. Of course Jace told her that she was beautiful, but she never really believed him. But maybe she really was beautiful . . .

"Well, Jace has, but he's supposed to . . . being my boyfriend and everything."

"Well, you are. And you should know that."

"Thank you, Tess. It means a lot to me."

Hearing the nickname 'Tess' brought back memories of the first time that Will had called her that. Her eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill.

Clary, seeing the tears, wondered what was wrong. "Tessa, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?"

Tessa shook her head. "No, it's just that Will is the only one who ever calls me Tess. He and I aren't on the best terms at the moment." Her voice turned bitter at the end, recalling his words to her in the attic. And, try hard as she may to repress it, she recalled the kiss they shared moments before those words. Her heart tightened as she thought about it.

"Oh! Tessa, I'm so sorry! I won't call you that if you don't want me to." Clary said, reaching to give the other girl a hug. Tessa accepted it gladly, happy for any sort of affection.

"No, you can call me that if you want to. I really don't mind, it's just that you caught me off guard." She paused, looking cautiously at Clary. "Clary, please tell me that Jace isn't at all like Will. Please tell me that he's good to you. I wouldn't be able to stand it if it ran in his family."

"Well, he can be sarcastic and rude, but I know that he's truly an amazing person. If you only knew what the two of us went through . . ." She trailed off, remembering the time when she thought that she and Jace were brother and sister. It wasn't a time she cared to remember. "Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime, but I have no time for it now."

"Sure, Clary. Now, let's get to tricking Jace!" Tessa said enthusiastically. Clary nodded, and motioned for Tessa to go back to the dining room. Tessa smoothed the skirt of her dress, took a deep breath, and walked into the dining room. Clary ducked around the corner, keeping an eye on Tessa.

When Tessa entered the dining room, she was met by the knowing looks of Will, Jem, Jessamine, Charlotte and Henry. They knew that it was her, not Clary. But Isabelle, Jace and Alec had no idea. Magnus looked as if he had a hunch it was her, but he said nothing.

Jace walked over and wrapped his arms around Tessa's waist. "I like the dress, Clary. Did you borrow it from Tessa?"

_Tell him yes. _Tessa heard Clary say in her mind. "Yes, she did. Does it suit me?" Tessa stuggled to keep her tone casual, to speak as Clary did.

"Mmm, yeah. You look beautiful, as always."

"Clary, I love that dress! It's so pretty on you!" Isabelle squealed, clapping her hands with excitement.

_Call her Izzy. _"Thank you, Izzy. I love it too!"

"You do look quite dashing, _Clary._" Will said, smirking.

"Hey gramps, you're not allowed to think of my girlfriend like that. It's kinda creepy." Jace said, his tone joking.

"Well young Jace, I happen to be the same age as you are at the moment. So really, it isn't that creepy at all." Will retaliated.

"Well, still. Gramps, this might be a little too heated for your dear old eyes. You might wanna look away." Jace said, just as he began to lean in to kiss Tessa.

_Clary, I do believe that it might be the right time to reveal yourself! _Tessa sent, her inner voice panicky.

_I think you're right. _Clary thought, just before popping into the dining room. "Okay, I think that this is going a little too far." she said, resting her hands on her hips.

The looks of shock on the faces of Alec, Isabelle, and most of all Jace were priceless. Jace's head whipped back and forth between the two Clarys, a bewildered look plain on his face.

"Tess, you can change back now. I think we're scaring them." Clary suggested. Tessa nodded, and released the connection to Clary. She felt herself returning to her own body, and was grateful for it. It was quite disorienting to find oneself in another's body.

Jace stepped away from Tessa, a look of horror on his face. "What. The. Hell. Was. _That?_"

"I'm a shapeshifter," Tessa explained. "If I'm given something that belongs to another person, I can transform into them. Once I turn into them, I can go back and do it again as many times as needed. For example, watch this." Tessa groped for the inner tunnel leading to Camille, so that she could demonstrate. She felt her body reforming itself, and opened her eyes to faces filled with wonder.

"Who is that?" Isabelle asked. "Whoever she is, she's beautiful."

Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but Magnus had beaten her to it. "That, my friend, is Lady Camille Belcourt. My ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be a vampire."

Isabelle moved to high-five Magnus, who returned it with a grin. "Nice one, Magnus! You really do know how to pick 'em!"

"Yes, he does have great taste." Alec said, moving closer to Magnus. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec, hugging him tightly.

"Well, this has all been interesting, but we should probably be getting back to New York, in our own time. Clary, do you mind?" Jace said, who had long since moved back to stand with Clary.

"Sure. But we'll have to go in the yard, since Simon can't come in here."

"Aww Clary, can't we just leave him?" Jace whined, although it was clear to everyone that he was joking.

"_No._ Come on, let's go."

"Clary, would you mind if we watched you create the portal?" Henry asked.

"Not at all. Now, how do we get out to the yard?" Clary asked, looking around.

"Follow me." Charlotte said. She proceeded to lead the group through a narrow hallway, and they walked out a door to the yard.

"Are we leaving yet? I feel like a dog that has to be kept in the yard." Simon complained, moving to stand beside Clary.

"Yes Mr. Whiney-pants." Clary made her way over to the wall, and she pulled out her stele. She pressed it to the stone wall and began to carve the portal rune. A gaping hole opened up, and gasps were heard from all around. "Where should I visualize us going?"

"Central Park." Simon replied.

With a nod, Clary stepped forward into the portal. Only, instead of passing through it, she slammed right into it. The force of the impact sent her backwards, and she landed on the grass.

"Clary! Oh God, are you okay?" Jace asked frantically. He knelt down beside her, wrapping his arms around her so that she was resting on his legs.

Clary moaned, clutching her forehead. "Ouch."

Alec walked over to the portal. He reached a hand out experimentally, and found that the portal was solid.

"Well," said Magnus, "it seems as if we're stuck here for a while."

**How was it? Good, bad, meh? Let me know what you thought of it in a review. Let's see . . . 5? Is that asking too much? I hope not ;) Until next time :)**

**Oh and anyone who reads my other stories, no, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I'm just busy, and I've had this done for a few days now. It's just that mine and Natalee's science fair project demands a lot of my time, not counting all of the other schoolwork . . . whoever invented homework is definitely the stupidest person. EVER. Honestly, GIVE US A FREAKING BREAK! Oh, and don't even get me started on Mr. Nadeau and Mrs. Ingalls Garey! I hate both of them, Nadeau (who my friends and I call the angry Oompa Loompa behind his back XD) treats us all like we're stupid and unable to do simple freaking math, and Mrs. IG is seriously messed in the head. For the whole first half of the semester, we worked on verbs. VERBS. Ugh, and now we have like no time to do our french speeches (which is another time-consuming thing). Grr . . . school is dumb.**

**Anyways, REVIEW! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Whoa, it's been a while! Updates for this will be very sporadic and far apart, but bear with me!**

**If anyone wants to follow me on Twitter for info on updates, my username is iloveDimitri081 :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI or TID. Both belong to the extremely amazing author, Cassandra Clare.**

_**Present, Let Me Introduce You To The Past  
Chapter Two: Ah, Hell**_

"_Well," said Magnus, "it seems as if we're stuck here for a while."_

"Ah, hell," Jace muttered, helping Clary to her feet. She rubbed her forehead absentmindedly, feeling slightly dazed.

"What are we gonna do?" asked Isabelle to no one in particular, twirling a lock of raven hair nervously around her finger.

Alec sighed. "I think we're gonna have to stay here for a little while until we find a way to get back," he replied, staring morosely at the impassable portal.

"Yeah, that's all fine and dandy for you guys, but what about me? I can't stay outside, you know," Simon reminded everyone.

Charlotte provided an answer to his statement. "Well Simon, that won't be a problem. You may stay in the sanctuary."

"Sanctuary?" Simon questioned, a puzzled look on his face.

"It's attached to the Institute," Jem explained. "It's the one place in the Institute that vampires can enter. It isn't on hallowed ground, so it permits them to go there."

Clary watched Jem with fascination as he spoke. His hair shone like a silver coin in the moonlight, his silvery eyes kind and friendly as he spoke to Simon. Unlike Will, he didn't look at Simon with disdain because of the fact that he was a vampire; he treated him as an equal, as someone who should be respected. Clary admired him for that.

Simon looked hugely relieved. "That would be really great. Thanks!" he said brightly, grinning at Charlotte and Jem. Charlotte smiled tentatively at him, while Jem grinned back.

"As for the rest of you," Charlotte began, turning to the rest of us. "The others can show you to some rooms. I'm sure that Tessa and Jessamine can spare some dresses for you two," she glanced at Isabelle and Clary. "And Jem and Will can spare some clothes for the three of you," she said, glancing at Simon, Alec and Jace.

"And I can just go to my old apartment and grab myself some clothes," added Magnus. "Actually, I'll just stay at my old apartment. Unless there's somehow two of me now . . . it would be weird living with myself."

Clary found herself laughing. "Of course you'd think of that, Magnus."

Childishly, Magnus stuck his tongue out at her. "Forgive me, Clary darling, for thinking of everything," he muttered. "Alec dear, would you like to come with me?" he asked, turning to Alec.

Alec shifted uncomfortably under the stares of everyone. "Sure, Magnus. I'd love to," he mumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Magnus smiled, his green cat eyes glittering happily. "Marvellous! Let's go right away!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Alec nodded. "How will we get there?" he asked.

Magnus turned to Clary. "Biscuit, could you try another portal? Maybe it'll work if we're not trying to travel through time again."

Clary shrugged and clutched her stele. "Sure, why not? It couldn't hurt to try. Well, it could if you walk directly into a wall . . ." she trailed off, rubbing her forehead.

She marched up to the wall and drew another portal rune, which spread into a glowing rectangle. "It's all yours, boys."

"You're such a doll," Magnus said, poking her nose. She rolled her eyes at him.

Alec and Magnus stepped forward, each of them reaching a hand out tentatively to touch the portal. As soon as their hands touched it, they were sucked in with great force, and the portal closed.

"Extraordinary," Henry breathed, staring at the spot where Alec and Magnus had disappeared.

Clary blushed. "It was nothing, really," she said, embarrassed.

Jace wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the top of her head. "It's not nothing, Clary. It's your gift," he murmured.

"I know, I know . . ." Clary muttered. She turned to face him. "By the way, I love you," she added casually, grinning at him

He smiled widely at her. "Just like every other girl on the planet," he said. Clary heard Simon gag. "But there's only one that I love in return. Wanna take a guess as to who it is?"

Clary pretended to think about it. "Hmm . . . I'm gonna take a wild guess and say, I dunno, me?" she asked innocently, staring up at him through her lashes.

Instead of answering her, he cupped her face in his hands and slowly leaned down to touch his lips to hers.

No matter how many times he kissed her, it always left Clary dazed, with a sense of amazement. Amazement that after thinking that she would never be happy because the one she loved was her brother, she could finally be with him. Amazement that he was all hers.

Someone cleared their throat, and Clary and Jace broke apart. They saw that it was Will, staring at them in amusement. "If you two are done sticking your tongues down one another's throats, we would like to show you where each of you will be staying," he said in a bored tone. Clary saw that Henry and Charlotte had already gone inside, and she hadn't even noticed.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Sure, Gramps. Whatever," he muttered.

Will's eyes narrowed. "Must you call me Gramps? May I remind you that I am only seventeen at the moment? And by the Angel, someone needs to teach you some manners!"

Jace raised an eyebrow. "Will, I don't _have _to call you Gramps, I _choose_ to call you Gramps. And trust me, I have manners. I just choose not to use them when I'm talking to you."

Clary squeezed Jace's hand, trying to stop him. "Could the two of you at least _try_ to get along?" she asked, exasperation clear in her tone.

Both Will and Jace turned their heads away, sticking their chins out. Clary shook her head at them.

Isabelle spoke next. "Jessamine?" she said, her tone questioning.

The blonde turned her head to Isabelle. "Yes?"

"Could you show me to a room, please?"

Jessamine nodded. "Follow me, Isabelle." she replied, gathering up the skirts of her dress. "I'll lend you some dresses as well, so we'll stop by my room first."

Isabelle smiled in gratitude. "That would be _so_ great. Thanks."

Jessamine smiled in return. "You're very welcome. Right this way."

Clary watched Isabelle and Jessamine re-enter the Institute.

Jem turned to Simon. "Would you like me to take you to the sanctuary, Simon?" he asked politely.

"Sure. Thanks, Jem," Simon replied. Jem began walking in the opposite direction that Jessamine and Isabelle went, and Simon followed.

"I'll see you in the morning, Simon!" Clary called after him.

He turned and grinned at her. "See ya, Clary."

Will grinned at Clary. "Come with me, Clary. I'll lead you to a room," he said.

"No William, I shall take her. I need to give her things to wear, just as you need to give Jace things to wear," Tessa said coldly, brushing past Will to stand beside Clary.

Will wiggled his fingers at her. "Oooh, so it's 'William' now. I'm hurt, Tess. Or, should I say, Theresa."

Tessa studiously ignored Will. "Here, Clary. I can take you to the room beside mine."

Clary looked between Tessa and Will. "Um, okay, Tessa. Goodnight Jace, Will," she said. Jace leaned down to peck her on the cheek, and she walked away with Tessa at her side.

Once they were inside the Institute, Tessa threw her arms up in exasperation. "He's so infuriating!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Tess," Clary began cautiously. "What happened between the two of you?" she asked, then hastily added, "If you don't mind my asking."

Tessa sighed. "It's a long story. How about I tell you once we get to your new room, for the time being at least?" she asked, smiling tightly.

Clary only nodded, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Jace stood in the backyard, staring his great-grandfather down.

After a few minutes, Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose I had better take you inside. I'm sure that Charlotte would not think too kindly of me if I left you out here."

Jace snorted. "Will, I'm not sure that _anyone_ thinks too kindly of you. What was that with Tessa?" he asked.

Will's face fell, but only for a second. It soon turned back to the smirk that Jace was beginning to think was permanent. "Ah, Tess. Such a dreary story," he murmured.

"Care to elaborate?"

Will tapped his finger to his chin. "Hmm . . . I suppose that I could. Come along, I shall tell you as we walk."

Jace nodded, and moved to walk beside the dark-haired boy.

Will led him through a few confusing halls and stopped in front of a door. He opened it, and motioned for Jace to follow him in.

Jace found himself in a sparsely decorated room. "Welcome to my room," Will announced grandly.

Jace looked around. The room made him think of his own, back at the New York Institute. "Nice place," Jace commented. He plopped down into a chair, still facing Will with an expectant look on his face.

Will sunk down in the chair opposite Jace. "The Tessa situation is a very delicate one. She informed me of her attraction to me, and I cannot deny that I am attracted to her as well. But she's a warlock, and I am Nephilim. There can be no future for us. I offered her my . . . services, you could say, and I suppose that I insulted her," he explained.

Jace stared at Will, a look of incredulity on his face. "Will, that is _not_ something you say to a girl that likes you. Trust me, I've been there before. Clary and I didn't exactly have the easiest time making our relationship work, you know. And really,if only you knew the situation with Nephilim and Downworlders in _my_ time. For example, Clary's mother Jocelyn is marrying Luke, who happens to be a werewolf. Sure, he was once Nephilim, but that doesn't matter to Jocelyn. They love eachother, and that's all that matters."

Now it was Will's turn to be incredulous. "A Nephilim is marrying a _lycanthrope?_" he asked, his voice raising an octave.

Jace nodded. "Things in my time and your time are very different, Will. Open your mind to all of the possibilities."

Will scoffed. "Here in 1878, that would be considered quite the scandal, Jace. Although, I do love a good scandal . . . but no. There cannot be a future for us, especially since she is immortal, and I am not. And also, there is the fact that she cannot have children. If I ended up with her, you would not be here, now would you?"

_He has a point, _Jace thought. "I guess you're right."

Will smiled smugly. "I'm _always_ right, Jace. I suppose you will figure that out on your own, though."

Jace rolled his eyes. "Can you just give me some clothes already? I'd like to get to my own room."

"Of course," replied Will. He stood up from his chair and walked over to a dresser, pulling out clothes for Jace to wear for a few days. "These will have to be enough until you are able to purchase clothes of your own," he said, handing them to Jace.

Jace stuck his hands in his pockets, looking for his wallet. He pulled it out. "Do they take American money here in London?" he asked. "Because I have plenty." He pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

Will's eyes widened. "By God, how do you have so much money?"

Jace stared down at the twenty in his hand, his brow furrowing. "It's just a twenty, Will. In my time, this is nothing."

"How can you so blatantly disregard the amount of money that you hold in your hand, Jace?"

Jace shrugged. "There's more where this came from."

Will stepped forward and draped an arm around Jace's neck. "Jace, I have a feeling that you and I shall be great friends."

* * *

"So what happened?" asked Clary, plopping down on the bed in Tessa's room. They'd decided to stop there first to get Clary some dresses.

Tessa laughed humorlessly, sinking down beside her. "Will and I became . . . close, in my time here. Despite his attitude, I came to admire, even care for him.

"A few days past, I sought him out to speak with him, to tell him that I would remain here at the Institute. I had discovered him alone on the roof. He seemed so . . . despaired, lost. I told him of my growing attraction to him, and he turned to me. The look on his face was . . . intense. He kissed me, and in those brief moments, all felt right in the world. When we broke apart, he . . . he . . ." Tessa trailed off, her grey eyes filling with tears. A sense of recognition spread through Clary at the sight of her, as if she'd seen her before. But it couldn't be possible, right? She pushed the thoughts away.

"Tess, you can stop now if you want to," Clary said softly, resting her hand on the other girl's arm.

Tessa shook her head fiercely and wiped the tears from her eyes. Clearing her throat, she spoke again. "He basically wanted to use me, Clary. Lead me on until he no longer had use for me. He went on to tell me that a warlock and a Nephilim could never have a future together, and he also enlightened me, callously, might I add, to the fact that as a warlock, I cannot have children.

Clary felt her temper rising and her blood boiling. "Where the hell is he?" she demanded, her nostrils flaring. "I'll beat the shit out of him! I'll make him wish he never said any of those things to you!"

Tessa looked appalled, and Clary soon realized why. "Oops," she said, covering her mouth. "Pardon my language, Tess. That just made me really angry, and I lost my temper. But I'll still beat him up if you want me to. Or I'll get Jace to," she assured the other girl.

"No!" Tessa exclaimed. "You couldn't possibly do that. I don't need him. I have Jem." As Tessa said Jem's name, her expression softened. A radiant smile pulled her lips up at the sides.

"Oooh, you like Jem?" Clary asked excitedly.

"Of course! Don't you?" she asked, not understanding.

Clary's mind groped for an old-timey way of rephrasing it, a way that Tessa would understand. "I'm sorry. I meant, do you fancy Jem?"

A faint blush spread over Tessa's pale cheeks. "Well . . . yes. It's just that he's been so very kind to me ever since the moment I met him. There's just something about him."

Clary grinned. "Does he fancy you as well?"

"I . . . I think he may," replied Tessa, her smile growing.

Clary clapped her hands happily. "Great! You don't need scum like _William,_" she spat his name, "anyways."

Tessa smiled halfheartedly at her. "Then why do I still yearn for him, feel incomplete without him?"

Clary shot Tessa a sympathetic look. It was too easy to sympathize with her. "Tess . . . I wish that I could say that everything will be okay in the end, but I can't. I know how it feels to want somebody you can't have."

"How? For, looking at you and Jace, I find it quite hard to believe."

Clary took a deep breath, preparing to tell Tessa the entire story.

She explained everything, from the very moment she'd met Jace to that fateful night at Lake Lyn.

"_You spoke with the angel Raziel!"_ asked Tessa, her voice shattering through two octaves.

Clary shushed her, nodding her head. "I could have had anything in the world, but all I wanted was to have Jace back. So Raziel did what I asked," Clary said, shrugging.

Tessa's eyes shone with wonder. "That must have been wondrous, Clary! What I wouldn't give to live in your time . . . it sounds like such an amazing place!"

Again, Clary felt that nagging feeling that she _knew_ Tessa. She scanned her memories, searching for _something_.

Suddenly, it came to her. "Tess! I've seen you before, I know it! You were at the party at the Accords Hall, after Valentine died!" she exclaimed, grabbing Tessa's hands in hers in her excitement.

Tessa looked shocked. "Clary," she said slowly, "that cannot be possible. I was born in 1862, and the year you speak of is . . ." she trailed off, not knowing the answer.

"2007. But that's irrelevant, Tess. You're a warlock; warlocks are immortal. I _know_ I saw you talking to Magnus that night!"

Tessa swayed. "I'm . . . immortal?" she asked uncertainly.

Clary gasped. "Oh, God, I'm sorry! I didn't know that you didn't know!"

Tessa patted Clary's arm. "That's quite alright. It's simply . . . shocking, I suppose."

Clary felt bad. Tessa had been through a lot, she didn't need more stuff thrown at her like this.

Sighing, they both got up. Tessa pulled a dark green dress from her wardrobe and handed it to Clary. "I'll give you another tomorrow night," she said. "I suppose we'll have to go shopping shortly, won't we? After all, you should be able to decide which dresses you would like for yourself."

Clary nodded. "Yeah, shopping sounds pretty good." Clary dug through her messenger bag for her wallet. She came across her iPod and happily cried, "Yes! My iPod is in here!" She pulled it out, clutching it tightly.

"iPod? What is an iPod?" asked Tessa, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"It's a device that lets me listen to music," Clary replied, showing Tessa.

Tessa stared in amazement at the iPod as Clary showed her pictures that she had stored. Pictures of her and Simon, her mother, Luke, her and Jace, Alec, Isabelle, Magnus . . . she had plenty.

Eventually, the two split off for bed. Clary promised Tessa that she could listen to some of the music the next day, which she happily agreed to.

As soon as Tessa left her in her own room, she changed into the nightgown that Tessa had given her. She laid on the bed and pulled her sketchpad out. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as she drew Will, Tessa and Jem. Tessa stood in the middle, her face uncertain. Will had that smirk that he always seemed to wear, while Jem had a kind smile, his eyes crinkled up at the corners. Will was all darkness, while Jem was all light.

When she finished, another idea came to mind. Flipping to a fresh page, she began to draw Jace and Will side-by-side, showing the contrast between them. While their expressions were the same, the two couldn't have been more different in the drawing. Almost mindlessly, she added wings to both, shading Will's slightly darker than Jace's. It was almost as if he had an aura of darkness around him, never leaving.

When Clary could no longer keep her eyes open, she set the sketchpad on the bedside table and covered up, pulling the blankets right up to her neck. She fell asleep fairly quickly after that.

_In the dream, she was alone in an unfamiliar park. Clary spotted Big Ben in the distance, so she knew that it was a park in London._

_A weird metallic smell hung in the air, sharp and repulsive. Clary's head whipped around, searching for the source. She heard a ticking noise coming from behind her. She whipped around, only to come face-to-face with a what looked like a human, but didn't feel _right._ The eyes protruded slightly, making it resemble a frog. It looked like a young girl._

"Clary, get away from that!" _Will yelled. She turned around to find Jace and Will side-by-side, giant angel wings folded behind their backs. Like they were in her drawing, Will's were darker than Jace's._

_The two raised seraph blades. They exchanged a look before dashing forward, their blades held high. Jace grabbed a hold of Clary and unfurled his wings. _

_They were flying._

_Clary peered down and saw Will sparring with the weird human-thing._

"Don't look," _Jace whispered. Clary nodded and buried her face in Jace's chest, which was bare, runes covering him. She felt impossibly safe in Jace's arms, so high in the air._

_He flew her far from the park, landing in a near-deserted street. Jem stood there, waiting for her. Jem nodded to Jace, who had set Clary down a few feet away._

"Stay with Jem, Clary,"_ he told her, resting his hands on her shoulders._

"But where are you going?"_ she asked him._

"Will needs me now to help him fight the automatons. I'll be back, I promise."

_Clary nodded, closing her eyes. When they opened again, she saw Jace flying impossibly fast through the air, back in the direction they'd originally come._

"He will come back,"_ Jem said quietly, suddenly right beside her._

"I know. He promised."

_Jem looked out on the horizon. _"Sometimes, promises aren't enough,"_ he whispered._

_Clary stood with Jem for what seemed like forever, but Jace never came back._

"He promised . . ."_ Clary whispered to herself. Her eyes were glued to the sky, __searching for the flash of two pairs of wings. But they never came._

_Clary heard the ticking again, smelled the metallic scent. She looked to Jem, who suddenly looked panicked. Clary followed his gaze, and soon wished that she hadn't._

_An army of those human-things were marching toward them. Over their heads, they carried the bodies of Will and Jace. Blood dripped from their beautiful wings, and Clary heard herself cry out for Jace. She looked to her side where Jem was, but he'd disappeared._

_She was all alone with an army coming at her._

"No!" _she screamed._

"Clary, Clary . . ." _She heard Jace's voice distantly, which made no sense. He was dead. The thought brought a new round of hysteria on as she backed away from the human-things that had killed Jace and Will._

"Jace . . ."_ she whimpered._ "No . . . no, no, no!"_ she cried._

"Clary, wake up . . ." _This time, the voice was Will's. But he was dead too!_

_Suddenly, one of the human-things grabbed a hold of her. Clary let loose the loudest scream yet and felt her body shaking. She shut her eyes tightly, and when they opened again, she woke up._

She flew up in bed, panting and shaking. Jace and Will sat beside her on her bed, staring at her.

"Oh, thank God!" she cried, throwing her arms around them. Will stiffened, but Jace murmured calming words in her ear. Will eventually relaxed.

"Clary, are you okay?" Jace asked cautiously, pushing her hair out of her face.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "It was just a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare," she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Would you like to talk about it? Sometimes, that helps," Will said softly.

Clary nodded, and went on to tell them her entire dream. Will paled, but Jace had no idea what she was talking about.

"Did you say 'automaton'?" Will asked. Clary nodded. "Ah, hell. Nasty little bastards, those automatons." Will rubbed his cheek as he spoke, a grimace on his face.

"What are they?" asked Jace.

"I think that that is a conversation for tomorrow morning, Jace," Will said, his voice ringing with a note of finality.

Jace nodded, accepting Will's answer. He then turned to Clary. "Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked softly.

"Please," she replied.

Will sighed, getting up. "I'm going back to bed. Your shrieks woke me at an ungodly hour, and I need my beauty sleep."

Clary and Jace murmured their goodnights, and Will turned to leave. However, he paused, his eyes on the bedside table.

"What's this?" he asked, picking up Clary's sketchpad. That was when she realized that she'd accidentally left it open on the drawing of him and Jace with the angel wings.

Clary felt herself blush. "I drew it before I went to sleep," she mumbled, embarrassed.

Will set the sketchpad back down where he'd gotten it. He walked to the door and turned. "It's good," was all he said before he left.

Jace grabbed the sketchpad, examining the drawing. "Will's right; this is really good, Clary. You captured my amazingly good looks," he said, grinning. He shut the sketchpad and put it back before wrapping his arms around Clary. Together, they laid down, trying not to fall from the narrow bed.

"Goodnight, Clary," Jace whispered in her ear.

"Night, Jace," she replied, yawning.

She slept the rest of the night dream free.

**I hope I didn't disappoint! I need ideas for this story, though, because I have absolutely no clue where I'm going with this XD so ideas are greatly appreciated. Full credit will go to anyone who gives me a good idea :)**

**I have just posted a oneshot of Tessa/Will. You guys should check it out and review :D**

**So remember, leave me a review telling me if you liked the chapter or not and maybe suggest ideas for where this story could go!**

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Here we go, chapter 3! I just finished it today...sorry I keep taking so long. I just have so many other stories that are higher up on my list of priorities...plus, I'm working on two original stories that I'm hoping to get published someday :D So bear with me, guys. It may seem like I'm never gonna update, but I always will. I'm never giving up on this story. I'll do my best to update maybe once or twice every month :)**_

_**This chapter is shorter than the other ones, but, hey, at least it's something :) I really like this chapter, too! There's humor, tears, and awkwardness :D what a great mix, right?**_

_**Anyways, I'll stop talking now and let you guys read :)**_

_**~I Heart Herondale Boys~**_

_**~Present, Let Me Introduce You To The Past~  
~Chapter Three: What The Hell Is An Automaton?~**_

Clary awoke to the sun shining on her face through the window. She groaned and rolled over, only to roll into Jace. He groaned tiredly before opening his eyes, his irises the color of yellow glass.

"Morning, sleepy," Clary said, giggling at the disgruntled look on his face.

He groaned again. "Ugh, tired. Hardly slept. Need more sleep," he muttered, closing his eyes again.

Clary couldn't help but laugh. He sounded like a caveman!

"Aww, did Jacie-Wacie stay up all night?" she asked, her voice a coo.

He opened his eyes to glare at her. "I had to make sure you didn't have another nightmare, FYI."

Clary smiled, then smacked him. "You shouldn't have. I was fine, just knowing that you were with me kept the dreams away," she told him, snuggling closer. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, his warm breath tickling her scalp. He traced her spine through her shirt with the tips of his fingers.

Clary loved when Jace was like this. Not half-asleep—though it was funny—but when he was all cuddly and loving. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He only showed this side of him when they were alone, so she loved it so much more because it was special.

Suddenly, Clary's door flew open, and in strode Will, fully dressed, smirking at them.

"What is it with you future children? We had the most God-awful time trying to wake Isabelle, and now, here I am, finding the two of you still in bed."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Well, _William_, we had a long night because of that nightmare. Are you ready to explain what an automaton is?" she asked, pulling back the covers. Jace hissed when the cold air hit him, and pulled the blanket back around himself and putting his face in his pillow.

"Well, I can once we get him up." He jerked a thumb toward Jace.

"Go to hell," Jace muttered.

"Jonathan Herondale, get your ass out of bed, or I _will_ drag you. I am not afraid," Will said, glaring.

"_Lightwood,_" Jace hissed. "_Jace_ _Lightwood._"

"Well _excuse_ me, Mr. _Lightwood._ I'd assumed that you would be proud to carry the Herondale name," Will growled.

Clary sighed. "Will, shut up. Jace never knew his mother or father, he grew up thinking that he was Michael Wayland's son, and then found out that he was Valentine Morgenstern's son, only to find out that he wasn't, that he was really Stephen and Céline Herondale's son. The only constant parents he's had are Robert and Maryse Lightwood, so shut the hell up and leave him alone about it. He can go by Lightwood if he wants to."

Will looked speechless.

"What? Not used to a girl speaking to you like that? Newsflash. In my time, men and women are equals, and free to do what they want and say what they want. Insensitive asshat," Clary growled.

Jace sighed. "Clare, calm down. It's okay." She heard his bones crack as he stretched and got up, rubbing at his eyes. He laid a hand on her arm, and she began to calm herself down.

"Well, she's certainly got a sharp tongue," Will joked.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Always has," he said lovingly, brushing a curl out of Clary's face.

Clary stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah, whatever," she muttered. "Where's Tess?"

Something flashed in Will's eyes when she said "Tess", but it was gone as soon as it came. "She's in the dining room, along with the others. Now, get dressed, and for the Angel's sake, brush your hair," he said, grinning.

Clary swatted at him, but he jumped out of the way.

"You two have five minutes," he announced before ducking out the door, closing it behind him.

Clary grabbed a dress and ran behind the chinese screen to get dressed.

She stripped out of her nightgown and stepped into the emerald green dress, which was a bit too long for her.

"Jace," she said, "can you lace up my dress?"

"Sure," he replied, coming up behind her.

"Make sure you tie it tight enough. I've heard that these things are supposed to be really tight, like, so tight that I'll barely be able to breathe."

"Got it."

A sharp tug jolted Clary backwards, nearly knocking her over.

"Not so hard," she growled.

She waited as Jace finished tugging and tightening, barely having space to breathe.

"Is that good?" Jace asked.

"Perfect," she replied breathlessly. She smoothed the skirt, then straightened back up. "I'd better not eat too much, or else I'm afraid I'll burst out of this dress."

"I think you should eat lots," Jace said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Pig," she muttered, smacking him.

He laughed and held his arm out. He looked like a perfect, old-fashioned gentleman in his grey trousers, white high-collared shirt and grey coat, complete with coattails. But Clary knew better. Jace was no polite gentleman.

Grinning, she hooked her arm through his. "Might I say that you look quite dashing, Mr. Lightwood," Clary said in a british accent.

"Why, thank you, Ms. Fray. You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress," he replied in the same accent.

"Thank you."

Arms joined, they made their way through the twisting halls of the London Institute until they reached the dining room, where Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, Jessamine, Tessa, Jem, Will, Charlotte and Henry sat, eating their food.

Grinning, Clary waved at Tessa. "Morning," she said.

Tessa smiled. "Good morning, Clary. I trust that you had a restful sleep?"

She grimaced. "I had a nightmare about something called automatons?"

Charlotte and Henry gasped, Jem dropped his fork, and Jessamine looked disgusted. Tessa, however, turned a sickly white color, her eyes widening.

"Automaton? What the hell is an automaton?" Isabelle asked.

Magnus sighed. "Mechanical people made by the evil Axel Mortmain," he replied.

"Who's Axel Mortmain?" asked Alec.

Tessa looked like she was going to puke. She pushed her chair out and ran out of the room.

"Dammit! Tess!" Will called, running after her.

"Oh, dear . . ." Charlotte murmured.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that he's done something to Tessa," Isabelle said, eyebrow raised.

Jem nodded. "Mortmain is an evil, vile man. He is the Magister of the Pandemonium club, a place for Downworlders to gamble and the like. He is a mere human, and we cannot be sure how he became the leader of the organization." He took a deep breath. "We had an intense battle against Mortmain's automatons. We lost two very good friends, Thomas and Agatha, who were humans in our service, like Sophie. We have learned that somehow, Mortmain is Tessa's creator, though we are unsure what he means by that. He wants to marry Tessa so that he may exploit her power and use it as his own. He also basically turned Tessa's brother Nathaniel against her."

Everyone was silent for a few moments until Jace spoke. "But we still don't know what automatons are; we don't know what they're capable of."

"Henry, perhaps you should be the one to explain what an automaton is," Charlotte said quietly.

Henry nodded and cleared his throat. "An automaton is a mechanical being. You may give them simple commands, and they are able to do what is asked of them. Mortmain is working on a way to animate his automatons with demon energies, allowing him the perfect army to take control of England and, eventually, the world. Our Pyxis was stolen from us on the night of the attack," he explained, sighing. "We need to stop him, but we just don't know how."

Clary exchanged a look with Jace, Isabelle, Alec and Magnus. They wanted to help.

"Well, you can count on us to help you. We don't know how to get back to our own time, so we might as well do something productive until we figure it out," Clary said, grinning. The others smiled as well, giving their support.

"Really?" asked Jem, a disbelieving smile on his face.

"Of course. You guys could use us future kids. And, who knows? Maybe this is why we were sent here. Because, really, Clary didn't think anywhere specific. We could have been sent anywhere," Jace said, looking at Clary, who nodded. "Plus, we have high-tech stuff that could help a lot."

"Say, like, gadgets?" Henry asked, his eyes sparkling. Clary laughed; she could clearly tell that Henry liked anything and everything mechanical.

While Jace and Henry talked, she went over to Isabelle.

"Iz, we should probably go explain everything to Simon. He'll need an explanation, since he couldn't be here for Henry's. I was thinking that we should do that after we eat," she told her.

Isabelle nodded. "Sounds good to me, Clare."

And so, they sat down and ate their breakfast.

~ID~MI~

Will stood outside Tessa's door, pacing. He could hear her crying inside her room. He didn't know if he should try to talk to her, or if he should leave. He didn't even know if she'd want to see him, let alone talk to him.

Sighing, he squared his shoulders and knocked.

"I'm really not up for company right now, so could you kindly leave me alone, please?" she asked.

"Tess, it's me," Will said softly. "Is it alright if I come in?"

He heard a sniffle, then a faint "Yes."

He opened the door to find Tessa on her bed with her face buried in her pillow. Her body was shaking with sobs as she cried.

"Oh, Tess," he whispered, striding over to the bed. He sat down beside her and gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her.

"They probably think I'm silly for running off like that," she said quietly, sitting up to face Will.

He caught a tear with his finger. It was such a tender thing of him to do; he wasn't used to being this kind. "I'm sure they don't, Tess. It's probably been explained to them by Jem or Charlotte," he replied, wiping the rest of her tears.

"This is so embarrassing," she mumbled, hanging her head in shame.

Will put a finger under her chin to tilt her face up. Her beautiful grey eyes shone once more with tears, though they did not fall.

He smoothed her pale brown curls back. "You need not be embarrassed to cry, Tessa."

"I am only embarrassed to cry in front of you . . ." she whispered softly, thinking he wouldn't hear.

Slowly, he pulled her to his body and hugged her tightly. As soon as he did, it was like a dam had broken. Tessa began shaking again as she buried her face in his chest, her body shaking as it was wracked with sobs. Will just held her, knowing that she needed him.

Suddenly, her lips were on his, and she was kissing him. It had completely taken Will by surprise; he hadn't seen it coming. Still, he returned the kiss, reaching up to tangle his fingers in her soft, light brown hair.

The kiss ended just as suddenly. Tessa's face was flushed, her eyes wide.

Her hand flew up to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I haven't the slightest idea what came over me. I should not have done that."

Will chuckled. "Tess, it's quite alright. It's not as if I did not enjoy it," he replied, grinning.

Shaking her head, she rose from the bed and started towards the door, turning only to ask Will if he was coming.

He followed her back to the dining room in awkward silence. Once they arrived, they received questioning looks, but no one questioned them.

Will spied Jace and Clary sitting together at the other end of the table. Clary's skin was turning a rather disconcerting shade of blue, and it looked as if she was having a difficult time breathing.

"Clary, are you alright? You're looking rather blue over there," he commented, hiding a grin.

"I'm fine," she gasped out, breathing hard. "I think my dress is a little tight, but I'll manage just fine, as long as I don't eat anything else. Thanks for the concern, though."

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Clarissa Fray, your room, right this moment. I shall fix your dress," she said sternly, though Will knew that she was trying not to smile.

"Okay," Clary breathed, a grateful look on her face. She turned to Jace. "I'm never letting you lace up a corset again.

Will nearly spit his drink. "_You_ laced her corset?" he asked Jace incredulously, trying not to laugh.

Jace stuck his chin out. "As a matter of fact, I did."

Will burst out laughing, but was silenced by glares from both Tessa and Clary, who walked away moments later.

"Asshole!" Clary called over her shoulder.

Everyone exchanged nervous looks before Jem said, meekly, "Tea, anyone?"

**_Haha I really love that ending XD Jem is just so awkwardly cute! I love him :)_**

**_So, what did you guys think? Did you like the whole Tessa/Will scene? I can't help myself :P_**

**_As for my poll, it's still open. Will is currently winning, so if you love Jem, show your support! And if you love Will, keep the votes coming so that you can make sure that Jem doesn't win XD_**

**_Please review, I love hearing what you guys think :)_**

**_Until next time!_**

**_~Sarah~_**


	4. Chapter 4

_To all of my readers._

_It's been a while, eh? It pains me to say that this isn't an update, and this isn't good news. I posted an explanation for why I've been gone so long at the top of my profile, but I don't really think people have been looking so I figured I'd just make a note to you all._

_This fanfiction account…it's done. This isn't my life anymore—my interests have shifted, and the stuff I used to write about just isn't me anymore. I'm sorry I didn't let you all know sooner…I feel terrible, like I've led you all on and given you false hope. I never, ever thought this would happen, and I didn't want it to, but it has. I just…I can't write about this stuff anymore—my heart isn't in it._

_When I started this fanfiction account at the age of thirteen or fourteen (I think? I can't remember, it was just so long ago…) I had big hopes and dreams of becoming a writer. My writing skills were a little (okay more than a little) rough around the edges, but the drive and desire to write was there and I wanted to be better. This site has improved my skills immensely—it's easy to see when comparing my early works to the later ones. It was you, the readers, who made that happen. Without you, I wouldn't have had the desire to continue my stories, and I would have been stuck with mediocre writing skills. So I'd just like to take a minute and thank everyone who has ever read, reviewed, favorited and followed a story or oneshot of mine. I owe you all so much._

_I remember how excited I was when Together Forever started becoming popular. It seemed so surreal, that people wanted to read what I wrote—that I evoked real emotion from people I didn't even know. That was such a great reward, guys, and I'll treasure that feeling forever. It made me start to expand my writing; it was then that I started branching out into different categories and making a name for myself. The two years that I wrote stories on this account carry some of my fondest memories, especially when I think about the people I had the pleasure of getting to know. These people drove me to do better, to write more, and I'm so thankful for that because writing is and always will be one of my favorite things to do._

_So, explanation time, I guess._

_I guess things started going downhill for me when the reviews started to decline—I realize now that I was review-hungry, and I hate that I was ever like that. I didn't realize that, even though I wasn't getting as many reviews as I was before, there were still people that were reviewing and faithfully waiting for new chapters. Thinking about it now…it just makes me sad. I'm sorry that I didn't fully appreciate you guys, it's one of my biggest regrets. But it happened, and I can't change it. The decline in reviews resulted in a decline in my motivation to continue writing, and then I just spent so much time not writing or reading that new things filled the spaces in my heart. I started seriously drawing and painting, and getting back into video games, and now I don't read so much anymore, as terrible as that sounds._

_But that doesn't mean I don't still write._

_I just write about different things now. No more Vampire Academy, Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices, etc., though each of those still holds a very special place in my heart. Now, I write about the things that interest me, like Kingdom Hearts and Zelda and Pokemon. They have always been my true loves, for much longer than books. And though I'll always feel terrible about abandoning this account…it's time that I move on. This phase of my life has been over for some time now, and it's time I formally said goodbye._

_I can never say sorry enough for doing this to you, the readers who have given me so much. But I hope that my stories made you laugh and smile and just _feel_, because that's what I set out to do. Thank you again for sticking by me through erratic update schedules, temper tantrums, sad stories and insane plot twists. I'd especially like to thank _Nicia_, who became a good friend, and also _she lives in a daydream_, in whom I found a great friend that shared my interests and occasionally dealt with rants and obsessive book talk. There are many others I could name, but that would take waaaaay too long. So thank you, all of you—you made my early teenage life exciting and fun by wanting to read my stories._

_Perhaps you'll come across me again, sometime in the future, with stories on a different account about different things. Maybe you'll know it's me, maybe you won't haha. But if you do, feel free to point it out to me—I'd love that._

_With many sorries and thank-yous,_

_Sarah._


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys!_

_Sarah here._

_No, this isn't a new chapter, sorry 'bout that._

_But there will be new chapters._

_How, you ask?_

_Well, the lovely Alice J. Nightshade is adopting this story from me. She's written a chapter already, which I've read and absolutely adore. I know she'll do well with this - so if you'd like to continue reading this story, check her out!_

_Thank you for reading what I've written, and I hope you all take the time to read her continuation!_

_With love, Sarah :)_


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